Hollow tile laying chute



NOW 9, 1954 w E., TUKER 2,693,869

HoLLow TILE LAYING CHUTE Filed Feb. 15, 1949 lo 2o y le 6e 24 2e me/Mov l25 WML/AM ETL/CHER United States Patent O i HOLLOW TILE LAYING CHUTE William E. Tucker, Carson City, Mich. Application February 15, 1949, Serial No. 76,489

2 Claims. (Cl. 1915-43) This invention relates to drainage ditch digging machinery, and more particularly to the provision of a chute device which will automatically place drainage tile in a newly dug drainage ditch, as fast as the ditcher is able to dig the ditch.

With the development of mechanized ditching equipment to be used to excavate drainage ditches on farmlands, etc., has come the ability to excavate such ditches, in the soil of most farmlands, at a relatively rapid pace. Ditchng speeds approaching twenty feet per minute are not uncommon, even with fairly light ditching equipment, and higher digging speeds are possible with ditcher equipment presently available.

Ditching speeds are presently limited by the tedious and backbreaking labor of hand-placing the individual pieces of drainage tile, which are made in lengths as short as twelve inches. This hand installation is accomplished by a long handled tool, known as a hook, the hook being inserted into the cylindrical tile and the tile lowered into the ditch and properly positioned by manipulation of the hook.

Another reason for limiting the speed of ditching operations at present is the fact that the actual tile laying operation must be performed in a very restricted area, immediately behind the digging wheel of the ditcher, and within the contines of a structure called the casing The casing consists of two vertical walls with proper spreader means on either end thereof, and is attached to the ditcher immediately behind the digging wheel, functioning to prevent the falling of dirt from the sides of the newly dug ditch down into the prepared bottom of the ditch prior to the placing of the tile in the ditch. It is necessary to place the tile in the bottom of the ditch prior to the time that the casing leaves the particular area where the particular piece of tile is to be placed.

The inside width of the casing can be less than twelve f inches, and the useable protected working space defined by the casing can be less than two feet in length.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide means for speeding up the actual tile laying operation in connection with the drainage ditcher, so that the ditcher may be used at a faster speed.

A further object is to provide a tile laying chute which will properly position the drainage tile and the like in a newly dug ditch.

A further object is to provide a tile laying chute which automatically positions the tiles, one relative to the other, s3 that the proper joint is formed between the adjacent t' es.

A further object is to provide a tile laying chute having its loading end in a readily available position when the digging wheel of the ditcher is operating to dig a drainage tile ditch.

Still another object is to provide a tile laying chute which is readily adjustable for the various sizes of drainage tiles in common use.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a drainage tile laying chute having the ability to position a drainage tile in a prepared ditch and relative to a tile already having been laid such that the joint between the two adjacent tiles is fitted properly for maximum etliciency.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the appended claims in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a side elevational view of one embodiment of ICC my tile laying chute, in its operative position, with certain of the surrounding structure being omitted or broken away to show more readily the exact construction of the device,

Fig. II is a view on an enlarged scale showing the device of Fig. I, the device being loaded with tiles in the positions taken by the various tiles during the trip down the supporting face of the chute,

Fig. III is a cross sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. II, showing the hinge construction between two of the component parts of the device of Fig. II,

Fig. IV is a side elevational View of another embodiment of my device, this embodiment being shown with the tile in position to demonstrate the positions taken by the various tiles during the tile laying operation,

Fig. V is a side elevational view of the third embodiment of my invention, the device being loaded with tile to show the positions the various tiles take during the operation of the device,

Fig. VI is a View in section on the line VI-VI of Fig. V, showing the particular structure which performs the tile positioning operation common to all of the embodiments hereof, and

Fig. VII is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the end of the chute as viewed from the right of Fig. I.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1,. II and III is essentially a jointed curved chute or trough structure mounted within the casing of a ditcher, it being appreciated that the ditcher itself is of known construction and comprises a rotary digging wheel (only part of which is shown in Fig. I) adapted to be pulled along the ground, as by a tractor on which the digging wheel is mounted, and trailing behind it a hollow frameY structure adapted to ride in the excavated ditch and keep soil from falling into the ditch prior to the laying of the tile therein. In Fig. I it will be seen that the digging wheel is positioned for rotary movement within a framework 12 having an upper extended frame member 14 supported by a brace 16 against a vertical frame member 18, the digging wheel 10 being fitted with digging buckets 20 and side cutters 22. Attached to and supported by the vertical frame member 18 is the hollow frame structure or casing above mentioned, comprising a pair of Vertical walls, the far one of which is indicated at 24, these walls during normal ditching operation extending slightly above the ground level 26 and almost to the bottom 28 of the ditch being dug. The casing side walls project forwardly of the vertical frame member 18 to a point 30, and are supported by the frame member 32 to extend in a curve under the rear part of the digging wheel 10.

Provided in known manner below the forwardly projecting end 34 of the casing, is a trench dressing shoe 36 extending rearwardly to a point 38 which is forward of the rear end 40 of the casing wall 24.

The shoe 36 is attached throughout its length to the i opposed casing walls (only one of which is shown at 24),

and carries for a distance near its rear end a cleat 42 which, together with thel shoe 36, shapes the bottom of the dug trench and, by the action of the cleat 42, presses a narrow channel in the bottom of the trench. The interior of the casing also has a transverse bar 44 secured therein.

Referring now to Figs. I, II and Ill there is provided in accordance with the present invention a tile feeder chute adapted to be operatively associated with the aforesaid hollow casing to automatically deposit the tiles in proper formation in the trench as the digging operation proceeds. This particular embodiment of the invention comprises an upper chute member 46 and a lower chute member 48, both of which can be made from simple angle iron shaped to perform the required function. Also, the upper chute member 46 has a fulcrum point at 50 at the junction of the straight part and the curved lower end 52. This chute member 46 is shown supported from the extended upper frame 14 by means of an arm S4 having a hook end 56 which engages the structural member 60 attached to the frame 14. Thearm 54 is provided with a plurality of apertures 62 in which is journalled the pin 64 which is attached to the plate 66,

j the plate in turn being attached to the member By Patented Nov. 9, 1954 spect to the lower end 52 of the upper chute memberi.

by means of the opposed plates 72, 72' and the associated hinge pins 70. This hinginglpossibility permits'Y the depth. of the gap defined between the said chute ends:

68 and 52 to be varied, as will be understood. lt is liliewise desirable to incorporate a hinge 51 at the fulcrum point 50, so that the discharge end 52 may be positioned as desired, and the loadingiend 46 vmay be raised higherl than shown to accommodate the soft-sided `tile which do not slide down the chute as easily as' do the glazed tile.

In order to hold the ends 52 and 46 relative to each -r other, as desired, a telescoping brace 53 is-mounted as shown, land adjustable clamp means 55 are providedin said brace 53.

The lower chute member 48 is formed 'in a continuous curve and extends down to a terminatingk or discharge end 74 positioned adjacent the end 38 of the shoe-36.

The member 48 is so curved that the angle between the two arms of the angle iron progressively increases from the upper end 68 to the discharge end 74. An abutment plate 76 is mounted on the rear side of the member 48 in a-position to engage the vertical frame member 18, while adjacent the discharge end 74 there is mounted a positioning member 78 which is formed with an indentation S0 and adapted to embrace the bar 44 to locate the chute in desired position within the confines of the casing. A lifting finger 79, formed of at metal, is attached to the discharge end 74 and extendsl down to the bottom of the channel pressed into the trench by the cleat 42. The side wings 81 are attached adjacent the end 74 and extend back at least to the rearward end of the finger 79, for a purpose as will appear later.

In operation, and referring particularly to Fig. if, it will be noted that a tile 82 is in its final position on the bottom of the trench. The tile immediatelyfollowing in tandem the tile 82, is shown as having its leadingiend 86 being supported by the trailing end 88 of the tile 82, while its rear end 90 is supported by the discharge end 74 of the lower chute member 48, and in turn supports the leading end of the tile immediately following. This condition of one tile supporting the leading end of the immediately following tile is continued back up aroundthe curve to the point 50. An examination of Fig. il y will show that the tile 92 has passed down the upper l wall of the trench. i Later, when the rear portion of the wheel, in its downward movement, encountersthe sameam stone, it tends to pull it back into the trench. If the stone is large, the power is sufficient to move the entire machine backward, against its own forward motive power, a distance of a foot or more. Under such conditions the lifting finger 79 lifts the end of the tile, the wings 81 retaining it on the` chute, and the movement of the tiles in the chute is reversed. lf no provision were made for such reversing, the tiles already laid in the trench are displaced or broken when such inadvertent reversing action takes place.

Referring to the alternative form of my invention as shown in Fig. lV of the drawings, here the chute is constituted by a substantially straight length of angle iron 104, having a loading end 106 and a discharge end 108. The loading end 106 is supported at a point adjacent the top of the hollow casing within which the chute is mounted while the discharge end 108 of the chute104 is fitted with a foot 110 which supports said end spaced above the bottom of the excavated ditch. A liftingflnger 107 and a pair of side wings '109 are mounted on the discharge end 108, for the purpose heretofore stated.A

In operation, and with'a tile 112 deposited in a ditch as shown in Fig. lV the leading end 114 of the following tile 116 on the chute 104 will be supported in an elevated and inclined .position with respect to the trailing end of the tile 112. As the lower end of the chute 104 is moved away from the tile 112, the trailing end of the tile 116 willbe lowered and Vgradually dropped into position where this tile lies and deposited in the ditch'inlongitudinally end jointed relationship with respect to the previously laid tile 112 and so on for the succeeding tiles l 118 propelled down the chute by the vibration thereof in chute 46 to a point where it has been tipped by gravity over the fulcrum point 50, such that its rear end 94 has been raised with respect to the leading end 96 of the i* following tile 98. This gives rise to an angular-displacing of the tile ends at this point, which displacement' is maintained in the further passage of the tiles seriaturn down the lower chute portion 48 and up to the point of discharge of the individual tiles from the. latter, as seen clearly in Fig. il, and results in the important .effect that the forward end of a tile being discharged into the ditch is held in an elevatedposition where ithas no tendency to dig into the surface of the ditch. The result is that v the tiles can be deposited in the ditch in proper end surface jointed relationship without any separate handling operation.

The tiles.98, 100 and 102,y in the positions shown wherein they are supported by the upper` chute member 46, tendto position themselves relatively to eachother so that the proper contact joint between each pair of tiles will be established and maintained as the tiles come off the discharge end 74. It will be appreciated that the entire ditching machine, and especially the casing walls24 as well as the chute members 46 and 48, vibrate at a fairly rapid rate, and will be in a continuous state" of vibration during the operation `of the machine. vibratory motion is effectively imparted to the tiles on the chute surfaces to constrain them to travel along the chute surfaces and assume the positions shown and above mentioned. Under certain conditions, however, I may install a separate vibrator device to agitate or vibrate the chute structure.

This

During normal ditching, the digging wheel 10 at times 1 The tendency.

the operation of the ditching machine. Bars 120 extending from opposite sides of the angle -iron 104 and secured to the opposite -walls of the hollow casing structure aforementioned serve to centralize the chute within such structure.

Figs. V and YVI show a further embodiment of my invention, comprising an upper chute portion 122 fitted with bars 124 for centering it relative to the hollow casing structure, and provided with ya suspending structure. 126 adjacent its loading end 123, by which thechute can be suspended in position within the hollow casing structure. The ldischarge of the chute is constituted by a separate length of anglefiron 130 attached to the upper chute portion 122 to forma joint 132 constituted by an underlapping of the rear end of the chute portion 132 with respect to the forward end of the upper chute portion 122. Withsuch a construction, it will be found. that the leading ends 134 of the individual tiles will be supported by the trailing ends 136 thereof, in the downward'travel of the t-iles through the discharge end 130 of the chute. This upsetting of the tiles occurs by reason of the dropping of the rear end 136 of the individual .tiles at the joint 132, lthe following tile being forced by gravity into semi-locking engagement with the tile ahead of it. lifting linger 129 and a pair of side wings 131 are mounted on the discharge end 130 of the chute, for the purpose heretofore stated. 1

Having described my invention, what lclaim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A tile conveying chute comprising an upper straight first section inclined downwardly in one direction upon which the tile are placed to be fed by 4gravity toward the discharge end of the chute,.alower curved second section having its .discharge end extending in an opposite direc.

tion from the first section, said second section having an upper end intersecting the path of travel of tile along said first section and disposed forwardly of the lower end of said first section in spaced relation thereto whereby tile upon being transferred from said first section to said second section are first supported on one side and then upon the opposite side as the direction of gravitational movement is changed, an intermediate section disposed between the lower end of said first section and the upper end of said second section to provide support for each tile as its direction is changed by said curved section, said intermediate section being a continuationvof said first section at the lower end of lthe latter and being disposed in spaced opposed relationship at the upper end of said second section, means definingpivotalconnections between said first and second sections and said intermediate section, said sections all being disposed in the same lane.

p 2. A tile conveying chute as defined in claim 1 wherein an adjustable link connects said intermediate section and said rst section for holding said intermediate section in different positions of angular adjustment with respect to said irst section.

Number Name Date Voo his etal May 31, 1870 Number 6 Name Date Barnes Sept. 18, 1883 Anderson Apr. 28, 1885 Sullivant Mar. 23, 1886 Carr Dec. 27, 1887 Rood et a1. July 4, 1899 Schopf Nov. 18, 1902 De Young Aug. 11, 1908 Hanson May 21, 1912 Eggert Oct. 24, 1922 Stock et a1 Dec. 18, 1934 

